SO! Due to lots of spare time in my new move to Houston, I am going to endeavor to make a solid effort towards improving my writing, or at least practicing it. I bought a book at Chapters (on clearance, of course, it was $2), which has a daily segment of literature upon which to reflect, and then a writing challenge as a follow-up. I'm going to start today, with September 11th, and we'll see!
--------
THE VOYAGE OF ARGO by Appollonius of Rhodes
TRY THIS: The ancient myths have been retold many times. Select a story and retell it in a modern context.
--------
I stared into the glass, critiquing those aspects of myself that no one else would ever see twice. My wide brow and large green eyes, inherited from my father who was always too proud to claim his monstrous daughters as his own, my full lips and high cheekbones from my mother, whose beauty is spoken of only in whispers because her womb has only bore creatures. And creature I am. It took a long time for me to come to terms with that, because what girl doesn't dream of a future filled with happiness? But my past had not shown me happiness, and my future was definitely not looking too bright.
I turned from the window, careful to avoid the small mirror I kept on my bedtable to remind me of my limits, and walked to the salon. The apartment was quiet, like always, and as I sat on the sofa, Pyranee jumped into my lap. "Mmmrrrrao?" she encouraged, playfully. Pyranee always knew when I needed cheering up. Blinded in a fight with some feral animal, and abandoned by her previous owners, Pyranee and I had both experienced our fair share of unhappiness, but she always seemed to have more optimism than me.
"Oh, Pyraneee," I sighed, rubbing her head in that exact place I knew she liked. She started to purr. If only my troubles could be solved with a thoughtful head massage, but a hisssssssss from near my left ear reminded me of how impossible that would be. They never seemed to like it when I spent time with Pyranee. Probably because they somehow knew that she made me a tiny bit happy, and their sole plot in life was making me miserable. As if snakes have such moral reasoning. But I swear I will never forget when Pyranee jumped on top of the fridge that one night, and one of them tried to lash out and bite her--which would have killed her instantly. So I am not too easy to forgive anything they do--purposefully or otherwise.
There was nothing on TV anyway, and as I flipped through the channels the snakes writhed impatiently around my shoulders. For creatures so adept at mimicking my moods and behaviors, I would have loved if they picked up on my small happiness as well, but no, only in anger, frustration, despair and boredom were they content to amplify my feelings. The bastards. A longer one on my right even came around within my field of vision for a bit, staring at me as if to say, "How pathetic." Criticizing me for spending yet another night on the couch alone.
But one look at Michael in the corner and my thoughts of getting out of the house vanished from my mind. No, this was safer. Only this way would no one get hurt. Only this way would that never happen again. My loneliness was a small sacrifice for the ability of others around me to survive. Though every time I think of Michael I am brought back to that night, which I despise. The snakes started riling up and hissing at even that flicker of self-loathing that went through me. As Pyranee wandered off to explore the kitchen, I wandered over to the stone man. I reached out to touch the side of his face and brushed his cheek with a tenderness I knew I could never again show a real man. The snakes hissed again at the gentle gesture, disapproving. This is where my love would get a man: a place of honor in the corner of a living room, for the rest of eternity. All hope of a future gone in an instant. I kept him with me always both as a reminder to myself of the price of my happiness, and in the secret hope that one day I would find a way to bring him back, and end the curse.
--------------
Well, that's all for today! Feel free to comment, or join me in this writing adventure and write your own. I don't know many myths, but the story of Medusa has always been interesting to me... Bye for now!
--------
THE VOYAGE OF ARGO by Appollonius of Rhodes
TRY THIS: The ancient myths have been retold many times. Select a story and retell it in a modern context.
--------
Among Monsters
I stared into the glass, critiquing those aspects of myself that no one else would ever see twice. My wide brow and large green eyes, inherited from my father who was always too proud to claim his monstrous daughters as his own, my full lips and high cheekbones from my mother, whose beauty is spoken of only in whispers because her womb has only bore creatures. And creature I am. It took a long time for me to come to terms with that, because what girl doesn't dream of a future filled with happiness? But my past had not shown me happiness, and my future was definitely not looking too bright.
I turned from the window, careful to avoid the small mirror I kept on my bedtable to remind me of my limits, and walked to the salon. The apartment was quiet, like always, and as I sat on the sofa, Pyranee jumped into my lap. "Mmmrrrrao?" she encouraged, playfully. Pyranee always knew when I needed cheering up. Blinded in a fight with some feral animal, and abandoned by her previous owners, Pyranee and I had both experienced our fair share of unhappiness, but she always seemed to have more optimism than me.
"Oh, Pyraneee," I sighed, rubbing her head in that exact place I knew she liked. She started to purr. If only my troubles could be solved with a thoughtful head massage, but a hisssssssss from near my left ear reminded me of how impossible that would be. They never seemed to like it when I spent time with Pyranee. Probably because they somehow knew that she made me a tiny bit happy, and their sole plot in life was making me miserable. As if snakes have such moral reasoning. But I swear I will never forget when Pyranee jumped on top of the fridge that one night, and one of them tried to lash out and bite her--which would have killed her instantly. So I am not too easy to forgive anything they do--purposefully or otherwise.
There was nothing on TV anyway, and as I flipped through the channels the snakes writhed impatiently around my shoulders. For creatures so adept at mimicking my moods and behaviors, I would have loved if they picked up on my small happiness as well, but no, only in anger, frustration, despair and boredom were they content to amplify my feelings. The bastards. A longer one on my right even came around within my field of vision for a bit, staring at me as if to say, "How pathetic." Criticizing me for spending yet another night on the couch alone.
But one look at Michael in the corner and my thoughts of getting out of the house vanished from my mind. No, this was safer. Only this way would no one get hurt. Only this way would that never happen again. My loneliness was a small sacrifice for the ability of others around me to survive. Though every time I think of Michael I am brought back to that night, which I despise. The snakes started riling up and hissing at even that flicker of self-loathing that went through me. As Pyranee wandered off to explore the kitchen, I wandered over to the stone man. I reached out to touch the side of his face and brushed his cheek with a tenderness I knew I could never again show a real man. The snakes hissed again at the gentle gesture, disapproving. This is where my love would get a man: a place of honor in the corner of a living room, for the rest of eternity. All hope of a future gone in an instant. I kept him with me always both as a reminder to myself of the price of my happiness, and in the secret hope that one day I would find a way to bring him back, and end the curse.
--------------
Well, that's all for today! Feel free to comment, or join me in this writing adventure and write your own. I don't know many myths, but the story of Medusa has always been interesting to me... Bye for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment